WEBVTT
11 NEWS REPORTER VANESSA HERRING
IS LIVE AT SCHOOL DISTRICT
HEADQUARTERS IN ANNAPOLIS WITH
REACTION FROM PARENTS AND
STUDENTS.
COUNTY SCHOOLS SPOKESMAN BOB
MOSIER TELLS ME ITS GIVE AND
TAKE.
>>
>> YOU HAVE A DEFINED END DATE
AND A DEFINED START DATE.
THERE ARE ONLY SO MANY THINGS
YOU CAN DO IN THE MIDDLE.
REPORTER: HE SAID IT DIDN'T
LEAVE A LOT OF WIGGLE ROOM IN
THE CALENDAR
>> SOME MAY NOT LIKE THE CHANGES
THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE.
REPORTER: THE MOST DRAMATIC
CHANGE IN THE
PROPOSED 2017-2018 CALENDAR IS
SPRING BREAK.
THIS UPCOMING SPRING SCHOOL YEAR
STUDENTS HAVE SIX DAYS OFF.
NEXT YEARS CALENDAR CUTS THAT IN
HALF.
ONE STUDENT HAS NO PROBLEM
CHOOSING BETWEEN A LONGER SUMMER
OR A WEEK LONG SPRING BREAK.
>> I CHOOSE HAVING A LONGER
SUMMER BECAUSE SUMMER YOU CAN GO
TO SIX FLAGS AND GO TO POOL AND
HAVE A SLEEPOVER AND STAY OUT
ALL NIGHT AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
REPORTER: MAKING THE SHIFT TO A
POST LABOR
DAY START ALSO MEANS REDUCING
THE NUMBER OF EMERGENCY CLOSING
DAYS.
>> WE'RE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT
THE INCLEMENT WEATHER THING AS
OTHER DISTRICTS LOOKING AT THAT
ARE.
REPORTER: IF MORE THAN THREE
DAYS ARE
NEEDED THE DISTRICT WILL SEEK A
WAVER FROM THE STATE TO OPEN
SCHOOLS ON MONDAY, APRIL 2ND
CUTTING SPRING BREAK DOWN TO TWO
DAYS.
THE SCHOOL BOARD IS SCHEDULED TO
VOTE ON THE CALENDAR DURING
WEDNESDAYS MEETING.
>> I THINK THERE WILL BE A LOT
OF DISCUSSION AT WEDNESDAY'S
MEETING ABOUT IT.
THESE ARE DIFFICULT CHOICES TO
MAKE.
>> SOME SAY THE CHOICE IS WORTH
IT.
>> WHY GO TO SCHOOL THE WEEK
BEFORE AND THEN THEY ARE OUT
NEXT WEEK FOR LABOR DAY WHICH
MAKES NO SENSE TO ME.
I'M FOR A POST LABOR DAY START
FOR SCHOOL.
REPORTER: BALTIMORE, CARROLL,
HARFORD HAVE ALL ISSUED PROPOSED
CALENDARS WITH POST LABOR DAY
STARTS.
ALL OF THOSE CALENDARS HAVE
SPRING BREAKS THAT ARE TWO DAYS

Anne Arundel County Public Schools is the latest district out with a proposed calendar that includes an extended summer vacation.

The plan falls in line with Gov. Larry Hogan’s executive order that requires schools to start after Labor Day.

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Anne Arundel County schools spokesman Bob Mosier said that in order to add 10 days to summer vacation, the district had make several changes, which included a shorter spring break .

"You have a defined start date, you have a defined end date and there are only so many things you can do in the middle,” Mosier said.

Mosier said Hogan’s executive order, which also requires schools to end by June 15, left little room for flexibility in the school calendar.

“When the governor’s first executive order came out, we said those people who were celebrating the longer summer may not like some of the choices that we have to make,” Mosier said.

The most dramatic change in the proposed 2017-2018 calendar is spring break, which will be cut in half from six to three days. At least one student said that she has no problem choosing between a longer summer and a week-long spring break.

"I choose having a longer summer because in the summer you can go to Six Flags and go to the pool and have sleepovers and stay out all night and stuff like that."

Making the shift to a post-Labor Day start also means reducing the number of emergency closing days

"We’re very concerned about the inclement weather thing as I think other districts who are looking at that are,” Mosier said.

Mosier said that three weather days are built into the proposed calendar, down from five days in this year’s calendar. If more than three days are needed, the district will seek a waiver from the state to open schools on April 2, 2018, which would reduce spring break down to two days.

The school board is scheduled to vote on the calendar during Wednesday’s meeting.

"I think there will be a lot of discussion at Wednesday’s meeting about it,” Mosier said. “These are difficult choices to make."

Some people said that the tough choices are worth it.

"People are taking their kids on their last vacation for the year,” resident Tonia Bowie said. “Why go to school the week before and then they’re out next week for Labor Day? (That) makes no sense to me, so I’m for the post-Labor Day start for school."

School systems in Carroll, Baltimore, Harford and Talbot counties have also issued proposed calendars with post-Labor Day starts. All of those calendars have spring breaks that are two days long.